Italy broadens national care package with newborn and cancer tests

Italy has published a major update to the care its national health service must provide, expanding newborn screening, cancer testing and support for people with chronic illnesses.

The package covers around 800 additions and revisions to services and treatments, alongside the removal of outdated procedures. Inclusion does not make every service free: some require a patient contribution, with exemptions subject to eligibility.

Under the update, nationwide newborn screening will include spinal muscular atrophy and eight other rare or metabolic conditions. Finding these illnesses early can help families reach further testing and, where available, treatment sooner.

New tests to better understand some early-stage breast cancers are intended to help doctors choose suitable treatments. The package also provides monitoring for women carrying certain inherited gene variants linked to breast and ovarian cancer, and expands exemptions from charges for care related to specified chronic conditions.

The changes aim to narrow longstanding differences between regions, which organise healthcare delivery and have offered different levels of additional coverage. Funding of €200 million a year is earmarked for the update.

The national doctors’ federation welcomed the changes but warned that adequate funding and careful monitoring are needed to prevent existing regional inequalities from worsening. Publication establishes a broader national commitment; making it consistently available locally remains essential.